Rail-joint.



J. H. & 0. J. TRESSLER.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED 00121, 1911.

1,022,279. Patented Apr.2, 1912.

:lwl 5 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 0 Z O 0 2 Q AWW 1 fill/7t TI'QSSZP/Fqnd CharlesJ fleasler UNITED OFFICE.

JOHN H. TRESSLER AND CHARLES J. TRESSLER, 0F GLENCOE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

Application filed October 21, 1911. Serial No. 655,831.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN H. llnnssnnn and CirAnLns J. Tnnssnnn,citizens of the United States, residing at Glencoe, in the county ofSomerset and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Rail-Joints, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements in rail splices orchairs.

1n carrying out our invention it is our purpose to provide a device ofthis character wherein the meeting ends of a pair of rails will beeffectively secured together without the employment of nuts and bolts oranalogous securing elements.

"We further aim to provide a chair having angular sides or fish plates,one of which being formed with projecting studs which are adapted to bereceived within openings in the webs of the rail ends, means being alsoprovided for sustaining the rails upon the studs so as to prevent thelateral movement of the rails, as well as the sagging movement incidentto the rolling stock passing thereover and which will also retain therails in perfect register or alinement.

WVith. the above recited objects, and others of a similar nature inview, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts set forth in and falling within the scope of theappended claim.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of railwayrails provided with our improved splice or chair. Fig. 2 is a top planview of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view upon the line 33 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5is a horizontal sectional view upon the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is adetail perspective view of one of the rail ends. Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of the chair. Fig. 8 is a similar view of the locking web. Fig. 9is a similar view of the locking pins.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, A and B designate the meetingends of a pair of rails. These rails are of the ordinary construction,having their webs provided with a plurality of openings which arenormally adapted to receive the bolts of the fish plates when the railends are connected in the ordinary manner.

The numeral 1 designates the improved chair. This chair is of a lengthsufficient to straddle at least two of the ties 2. The chair comprises abase plate 3 which is formed with the angular fish plates designatedrespectively by the numerals 4 and 5. These fish plates are preferablyformed integrally with the plate but may be, if desired, constructed asseparate elements and secured to the base in any desired or preferredmanner. The inner face of the angular fish plate 4 corresponds with thecontour of one of the sides and base flanges of the rail members, andthe vertical wall of the said fish plate is formed with a plurality ofextending studs 6. The angular fish plate 5 also corresponds with thecross sectional shape of the opposite face of the rails, but the spacebetween the said angu: lar fish plate 5 and that of the fish plate 4 isof a greater width than the thickness of the rails. The studs 6 projecttoward the vertical wall of the fish plate 5 a distance approximatelyequaling or slightly less than the thickness of the webs of the rails,and the space between the studs and the vertical face of the fish plate5 is sufiicient to permit of the webs as well as the base flanges of therails being slid through the chair without contacting with the saidstuds. The vertical wall of the fish plate 5 inclines from one of theends of the chair toward the opposite end and the said fish plate isprovided with a recessed portion upon its outer face which is designatedby the numeral 7. The lower wall of this recess 7 is provided with aplurality of openings 8, the same registering with similar openings inthe base 3 of the chair.

The numeral 9 designates an angular wedge plate, the same being of ashape corresponding with the shape of one side of the rails below thehead of the said rails, and this wedge plate has its base portionprovided with a plurality of substantially cross sectionally U-shapeddepressions, the same being arranged upon the edge of the said baseflange. The upper extremity of the wedge plate is formed with a head 10,the latter adapted to underlie the heads of the rails when the saidwedge plate is in position. The head projects a suitable distance overthe vertical wall of the wedge plate and the said projecting portion isadapted to contact with and snugly engage the upper face or edge of thefish plate 5. It will be noted by reference to the several figures ofthe drawings that this upper edge terminates a suitable distance belowthe upper edge of the vertical member of the fish plate 4, so that Whenthe wedge is positioned the edge of the fish plate 4 as well as the headof the Wedge will underlie the heads of the rail members A and B.

In assembling the parts the rail members A and B are first passed withinthe opening or space provided by the fish plate 5 and slid until theiropenings are brought into register with their respective studs which areas stated provided upon the vertical Wall of the fish plate 42. It is ofcourse to be understood that the rails are thus inserted within the fishplate from opposite directions and when the rails have their openingsengaged with the said studs the angular wedge plate 9 is driven withinthe space provided between the unengaged faces of the rails and theinner walls of the angular fish plate 5. The fish plate has one of itsends formed with what may be termed a hammering head 11, the same beingadapted to receive the blows of a hammer without danger of breaking, andwhen the fish plate has been driven sufficiently home, its depres sionwill register with the openings 8 and the openings in the base plate.Headed locking pins 12 are then passed through the said openings, andthe said pins project a suitable distance beyond the under face of thebase 8. These projecting portions are provided with slots 13, and thesaid slots are adapted to be engaged by cotter pins 14, the legs ofwhich being spread in opposite directions so as to securely sustain allof the parts in a locked position.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim is In combinationwith the meeting ends of a pair of railway rails having their websprovided with openings, a chair, said chair being provided with angularfish plates one of the said fish plates having its vertical wall formedwith a plurality of inwardly extending studs, the said studs being of alength approximately equaling the thickness of the webs of the rails,the second angular fish plate being spaced away from the first namedplate a distance approximately equaling the thickness of the webs of therails, the upper edge of the second named fish plate terminating adistance below the upper edge of the first named fish plate, the upperwall of the second named fish plate being inclined from one of the endsof the chair toward the opposite end thereof, the said second fish platebeing provided with a plurality of openings registering with similaropenings in the base, an angular wedge plate, said wedge plate havingits base flange formed with a plurality of depressions, said fish platebeing also provided with a headed portion having an off-set which isadapted to lie upon the upper edge of the second fish plate, the studsof the first named fish plate adapted to engage with the openings of therails, the wedge plate adapted to be inserted within the space betweenthe second named fish plates and the rails, pins for the openings andthe depressions of the second fish plate and base flange, said pinsbeing provided with slots,

and cotter pins for the slots adapted to contact with the under face ofthe base.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN H. TRESSLER. CHARLES J. TRESSLER. Witnesses:

WM. B. Coon, ROBERT Coon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

